Darjeeling stir: Now, North East groups voice support for Gorkhaland demands

Several organisations in the North East and those demanding small states are all set to show their support for the Gorkhaland movement.

Supporters of the party are likely symbolically to burn the GTA pact .

Several organisations in the North East and those demanding small states are all set to show their support for the Gorkhaland movement, an Indian Express report has said. This comes after leaders of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), which is demanding a separate state to be carved out of West Bengal, decided to resign from Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) , an administrative body for the hills. Speaking to PTI, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said, “We have decided to resign from the GTA. The resignations will be submitted to the principal secretary of GTA.” GJM supremo Bimal Gurung has also resigned. Significantly, supporters of the party are likely to burn the GTA pact symbolically, which was signed between the state government, Centre and GJM in 2011, in different parts of the region tomorrow.

Various outfits are also likely to demand separate states like Bundelkhand, Vidharbha, Bodoland and Purvanchal. They will also organise rallies in Assam and other parts of the country over the demand for Gorkhaland. Even as leaders and supporters of Bodoland are expected to reach Darjeeling today, rallies are being planned in Tripura tomorrow. A rally will also be organised by the National Federation of Small States in national capital’s Jantar Mantar.

“National Federation of Small States will hold a press conference in Delhi in solidarity with the demand for Gorkhaland. On June 23 and 24, rallies will be held in Tripura and Assam. Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura and Gorkha Students Union of Assam will hold the rallies. Already, leaders of Bodoland have extended their support to the Gorkhaland movement,” Monish Tamang, working president of National Federation of Small States, was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

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In the meantime, the indefinite shutdown in the Hills reached the eighth day yesterday. GJM and other Gorkha outfits organised rallies in different parts, including in Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik.Ambulance operators, who did not carry patients due to fear of harassment since Wednesday, cancelled their strike after a meeting with the GJM leadership, after being assured of not being harassed while carrying patients to Siliguri